The present invention relates to a motor vehicle with at least one door, in which a hook is located at a free end of the door and is associated with a pillar when the vehicle door is in the closed position.
An automobile shown in GB-PS 13 40 833 has two opposite doors in its two sides, in each of whose cavities a horizontally running reinforcing section is located. One end portion of this section is connected with the door hinge, and two hooks are provided at an opposite end portion that pass through the wall surrounding the door. The free hook sections of the hooks, with the vehicle door in the closed position, each pass through a recess provided in a body pillar, so that in the event of a side collision the depth of penetration of the vehicle door into the vehicle interior of the vehicle is reduced. However, because the free hook section of the hook projects very deeply into the corresponding recess of the body pillar, in a severe head-on automobile collision in which the vehicle doors deform, the hooks will engage the pillars, so that the vehicle door can no longer be opened.
Hence, an object of the present invention is to provide a hook on a vehicle door such that, in the event of a severe head-on collision, the vehicle door can be opened, but when a force acts transverse to this direction, a limited depth of penetration into the vehicle door into the interior of the vehicle results nevertheless.
This object has been achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing that the free end of the hook in the closed position of the vehicle door is located near the facing exterior of the pillar, so that when a force is directed transversely against the vehicle door with resultant friction and deformation of the sheet metal of the facing exterior the free end of the hook cooperates with the pillar.
The hook section of the hook according to the present invention has a length such that its free end lies in the vicinity of the exterior of the pillar when the vehicle door is closed. In addition, the hook section is provided at a greater distance, namely at least approximately 10 times the thickness of the sheet metal of the pillar, from the edge of the pillar facing the door articulation (B and/or C pillars). This arrangement and configuration of the hook section of the hook means that, in the event of a force acting against the vehicle door, the hook section is initially displaced slightly outwardly, (i.e. away from the pillar), so that the free end of the hook section slides over the outside of the pillar, with the hook section constantly penetrating slightly deeper into the sheet metal of the pillar.
The resultant high friction between the hook and the pillar considerably reduces the depth of penetration of the vehicle door into the vehicle interior. If the free end of the hook section is configured with an acute angle in the manner of the blade of a plane, a notch can be produced on the outside of the pillar which considerably increases the friction effect and further reduces the depth of penetration of the vehicle door into the vehicle interior.
Another advantage of providing the notch also consists in the fact that a bead-shaped elevation can form on the edge area of the pillar facing the door articulation, against which elevation the hook section of the hook finally abuts, so that the penetration of the vehicle door into the vehicle interior is considerably reduced. The arrangement of the hook according to the present invention in the vicinity of the pillar also ensures that in the event of a head-on collision involving the motor vehicle, the vehicle door can be opened.
The bead-shaped elevation on the edge area of the pillar for cooperation with the hook section of the hook can be further increased by the hook section projecting with its free end possibly for about six (6) times the thickness of the sheet metal of the pillar into a recess provided in the latter. The hook section of the hook reliably abuts the relatively large bead-shaped elevation which is formed when a force acts on the vehicle door, so that the depth of penetration of the vehicle door into the vehicle interior is very slight.
The recess provided on the pillar is groove-shaped in an aesthetic manner. With the door in the closed position, a greater distance is provided between the free end of the hook section of the hook and the outer circumference as well as the bottom of the recess. Then the rear wall of the groove-shaped recess likewise runs diagonally to, and at an approximately parallel distance from, the diagonal rear of the hook section. This ensures that in the event of a head-on collision involving the motor vehicle, the hook is forced outward and away from the pillar, so that the vehicle door can always be opened.
The hook can be made of steel or of light metal and is advantageously bolted to the end portion of the reinforcing section. In addition, the hook can also be mounted permanently on the reinforcing section or can be made integral therewith. With the vehicle door in the closed position, the midline of the hook section of the hook runs at an angle of about 10.degree. to 30.degree. to a transverse plane of the vehicle or a lengthwise plane of the vehicle. Thus, in the event of a force acting on the vehicle door, the free end of the hook section of hook can engage optimally with the pillar. Advantageously, the hook is mounted on the lower, free corner area of the door and therefore has no influence on the visual appearance.
Finally the pillar can be provided internally at least in the circumferential area of the recess with sheet metal reinforcements which prevent the sheet metal of the pillar from being torn loose when it cooperates with the hook section of the hook.